Of Ducks and Butterflies
by Cede-Lede
Summary: Jayne has bought a certain little crazy person a present. Set about a year after the BDM in which I imagine them to be job partners, a bickering twosome, and tentatively friends. pre-Rayne


The bay was filled with music. And for once it wasn't in her head. Jayne had found a music player at a booth during their last stop at the Skyplex. He said that it had not played correctly and, along with his big scary man discount, he'd managed to get a highly reduced price. Kaylee fixed the broken part and Jayne surprised her with it today.

River, as a general rule, did not like to be touched or to touch people. She didn't fully understand the physics behind it, but touching a person amplified their thoughts in her mind. Some days it was hard enough to keep everyone out without adding to it. However, when Jayne presented her with her present, she'd been so excited she broke her own rule without even noticing by kissing his cheek.

She was completely oblivious to his stunned reaction as she examined her gift though River did catch his muttering, "Don't go thinkin' nothin' of it. Jus' tired a seein' ya dancin' around all feng le to nothin' but engine sounds."

River set her gift on a crate and smiled at her partner. "Thank you, Jayne."

River had immediately gone to download some Earth-That-Was classical renditions from the Cortex. And now, there was music. And there was dance. Violins and cellos. Brisé and demi detourné.

Mal entered the cargo bay to see what all the ruckus was about and mumbled about his boat turning into some kind of faery playground. But he smiled as he walked away. Simon came to investigate next. River never stopped dancing but she could _feel_ the beam of happiness shine off of him as he watched her. Her ge ge, always so proud. Never jealous. River knew how rare he was and it only spurred her movements. He, too, left eventually but she carried on. Jayne had been there all along. Lifting weights, whether of the iron plate or human body variety, but he paid her little if any mind. Finishing his pull-ups under the catwalk, Jayne returned to his weight bench. The latest musical number ended as he wrapped his cloth for perspiration behind his neck.

"Aram Khachatryan," she just barely heard him mutter.

River stumbled just as she was preparing to stand in the starting position for the next piece.

"You know this?" she asked, startled.

"Dance a the Rose Maidens, right?"

River's surprise knew no bounds. In fact, she found herself currently unable to form coherent speech and simply nodded. Jayne, unaware of her stupefied state, nodded to himself in what seemed self-approval for remembering. That is until he caught her still staring at him.

"What?" he barked. Always on the defensive, Jayne.

"You know this?" River repeated, because while she technically had received an answer it was not the one she wanted. Namely, _how_ did he know this?

"So?"

She had reduced him to one word answers. Realizing she was implying he was incapable of knowing civilized music by her surprise, River tried a different tactic, walking over to him. "No. I am pleased you like it. Surprised, though. Did not perceive Earth-That-Was classical to be among your favored listenings."

"'S not."

She was this close to peaking in his brain. Sometimes River wondered whether Jayne gave her vague answers just so she would look, he would inevitably realize she'd broken their "rule", and then he could yell at her about it. But she could be just as stubborn as he was. Therefore, no peaking.

"Yet you know it."

Not a question but it garnered a response which Jayne thankfully, for once, did not ignore.

"My Ma liked that stuff. Pop got her a real fancy player when they was courtin'. Not like that little piece of fèiwù there. Woulda thought that man bought her her own gorram moon how much she loved that thing."

River frowned severely.

"It is not fèiwù!" she reproached in defense of her gift.

Jayne gave her an odd once over but didn't say anything. She thought about what else he had told her. River never paid attention to money growing up on Osiris. She'd never had to. She understood now how special a music player like Jayne spoke of would be to someone on the Rim.

"Such a gift would have been very expensive."

"Damn straight." He pursed his lips in that disapproving manner he had when people did something Jayne didn't feel made sense. "Men waste all kinds a coin when they's wantin' to be impressin' a girl."

"You do not approve of gifts to show endearment to those you love?"

Jayne snorted. "I don't approve of _love_, girlie. Ain't nothin' but a bunch a go se liable to get ya shot, robbed, or heart-achin'."

"You have had a bad experience," River surmised.

"Me? Nah." For a moment his eyes had a far-away look that belied his claim. She would not peak. She would not peak. Catching himself from his drift into past thoughts, Jayne looked at her, frowned, and then pulled his perspiration cloth from behind his neck. "Like I said, it's a ruttin' fool who goes and gets himself in love."

River nodded, agreeing with him. "Love is just a chemical reaction that occurs within the body. In my admittedly limited experience, love seems to cause typically rational individuals to act in a chaotic manner most unconducive to actually attaining the copulation they wish to seek with their desired partner."

Jayne replied how he always did when he understood half or less of what she said. "Yeah. Sure, girlie."

She would have to use that against him one of these days.

Thinking back over their conversation, River asked, "Is she a dancer?"

"Who?"

"Your mother."

"Oh. No. Least not all graceful-like like you. She'd dance with Pa sometimes though."

A soft smile slowly rose on her face. "You think I'm graceful?"

Jayne frowned. "About as graceful as any feng le thing hopping all over the place can, I suppose."

River just grinned hugely at him. "You cannot take it back." In full tease mode, she poked her finger at him which he immediately flicked away as she said, "_You_ think I'm graceful."

Performing a pirouette, she continued, "Like a butterfly."

He swatted her with his sweaty rag causing her to grimace in distaste. Which in turn caused him to smile. "Brat."

She stuck out her tongue. "Brute."

LATER...

Simon heard the music finally ending out in the cargo bay as he finished pouring his tea. He poured some for the Captain as well and sat adjacent to the man at the table as Mal cleaned his gun. Mal nodded his thanks but said no more. Heavy boots could be heard coming their way. Jayne must be done with his work out then.

River glided into the room, her new music player in one hand.

"I am Jayne's butterfly," she announced.

"Jayne's?" Simon murmurred, only to be ignored as said man appeared in the doorway and promptly rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, you're always callin' me a gorram duck, too. Better watch out, crazy. Birds eat butterflies."

River gasped, as if truly outraged. "You would not dare eat me."

"Never know. Man like me's got a big appetite."

All this took place between the time it took River and Jayne to cross from one doorway to the other. And then they were gone, their bickering fading with them.

Mal, who had barely looked up at the exchange, said, "Those two just get weirder every day."

"Jayne's?" Simon repeated.

* * *

fèiwù = junk

Duck reference = A cob is a male swan. I can see River calling Jayne chǒu xiǎo yā "the ugly duckling" as a tease.


End file.
